Addiction & Obsession in Paris

I’ve been meaning to post this show since I returned from Paris…it’s one of the best retail-meets-art installations I’ve seen in a while. Merci Merci is a wonderfully curated lifestyle, fashion, home and art experience in Le Marais. Whenever I visit, I make sure to pop in to see the latest presentation. As you can image, I was beside myself when I stumbled upon the Addiction and Obsession show that’s currently on display. Celebrating pattern, photography, objects and markings, both Paola Navone and Daniel Rozensztroch have joined forces to share their life’s work. Each artist’s process is documented in both an addictive and obsessional manner, then commercialized and sold in the store in the form of wallpaper and printed materials.

Obsession by Daniel Rozensztroch, Artistic director for merci. Obsession because he has always been fascinated with everyday objects and the inventiveness that emanates from them.
Russian ornaments from the 19th and 20th centuries, brushes, toothbrushes, spoons or hangers, obsession is accepted and displayed on 3 meter long sheets of paper, representing these symbols of popular art in an oversized manner.

Addiction by Paola Navone, longtime lover of the color that fades between blue and indigo. Full framed depiction of autobiographical patterns. The fish ( her astrological sign ), the frank look, and omnipresent Asian culture with the shadow of a geisha and traditional textile pattern.

To purchase the enlarged and oversized wallpaper versions of their work – which was super cool, click here. It took every bit of willpower to not to buy the toothbrush print. It’s a conversation starter for any bathroom.

July 2, 2015 | By: Shayna Kulik

Doors Throughout Morocco

I was recently telling a friend about my travels throughout Morocco, and she said that her father used to buy old Moroccan doors and ship them to America. The endeavor sounded equally arduous and enterprising.

All throughout the country, multicolored patterned doors fill the streets. There are engravings, paintings and metal work that nod to the rich cultural roots.

Here are a few snaps from Fez, Essaouira and Marrakesh. Compared to their textiles, the designs are tame, but on their own, they stand as incredible works of functional art.

May 27, 2015 | By: Shayna Kulik

Til Next Year…

This past Fall, I attended a talk with Marina Abramovic at the 92Y. She discussed the art of patience in relation to repetition and monotony, the ability to do something over and over again to the point of total and utter boredom with the end goal of achieving something greater.

To illustrate her point, she suggested combining two bags of rice with opposing grains and shapes. Over the period of a week, the singular bowl must be divided into two. Imagine sitting for days, combing, inspecting and separating- it seems as tedious as recombining the faces of paper shreddings (an incredible scene from Argo, if you haven’t seen it). Anything you’ve been troubled by should be resolved upon the completion of the exercise.

These are the references that came to mind after stumbling across Simon Beck’s work last night. He creates his art in the Savoie Valley of France, where he walks miles in pursuit of a perfectly constructed prism. Up close, his steps appear disjointed and chaotic, though from afar, each marking is part of a mathematical equation- one that’s mind-bogglingly perfect. His ability to walk his algorithms from within, as opposed to administering from afar seems supernatural in today’s computer-filled world. Ants do this. Plants do this. People do this with the aid of tools, and rarely do you see feats this magnificant beyond the classroom, the lab or office in the name of art.

At varying times of the day, Beck’s patterns shift, following the sun and reacting to the shadows. The designs are fleeting, and may only last for a few hours…beautiful in the moment for few to enjoy…which reminds me Abramovic’s exercise to some degree.

I was really struck by these works, as was the internet- the post appeared in my Facebook feed several times today. This also wraps the year for me in a symbolic way. Hopefully you all slow down a bit (or speed up if you prefer), recharge and refresh over the holiday for the new year ahead. I leave for Vietnam today and will be back in early January, with a redesign to share with you all. Til then, take some time to explore the art of patience, I’d love to hear what you discover…

-Shayna

December 24, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Menswear from #Jacques Elliott

Have you heard of #Jacques Elliott? It’s a lifestyle and street movement founded by our good friend Elliot Aronow. In addition to a collection of beautifully tailored ties, Elliot’s working hard to help men curate their daily ensembles. He has an advice column on Refinery29 that’s approachable and lively, offering useful tips on cutting through the marketing and PR BS to select the most sensible, cultural, wearable pieces for all hours of the day.

In his 10 commandments, Elliot sites the significance of brain power, saying, What #jacques wears is not nearly as important as how he thinks and what he values. That’s something we can get behind. Have a gander at his latest look book and enjoy the fashion, the patterns and the teeming je ne said quoi.

October 18, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Artist Profile: Laura Callaghan

Have you seen Laura Callaghan’s illustrations? They’re unique and interesting and filled with texture, gesture and attitude. I stumbled across her work by way of Gems, one of my favorite creative newsletters, and did an immediate deep dive into her site.

Check it out for yourself (and buy a print if you’re so inclined), as you’ll find intricate mixed media scenarios that test the limits of felt tip pens. Callaghan’s also the Illustration Editor of Oh Comely magazine and currently based in South East London. She’s a member of Illustrators Ireland and is currently taking on contract work both locally and abroad. Hit her up if you’ve got a good collaboration in mind!

September 26, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Color, Conversation & Hanes Underwear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRJ9ko0nZmI

Have you seen the latest Hanes spot? Chances are, maybe not, as the YouTube page has only 118 views. Parts of it are pretty cool, we’d recommend giving it a go. The concept reminds us a bit of Gap’s Be Bright campaign from a while back, but has clever synchronization and pattern mash-ups that transition human puzzles into cotton graphics.

Complimenting the TV spot, the social media component plays off of color, hoping to create chatter about an otherwise taboo topic. Would you tweet the color of your underwear? Hanes is hoping you will, by utilizing a Pinterest-like layout and pre-populated tweetable content, with a campaign entitled, What’s Your #undercovercolor? Have a look, play with the wheel, and let us know what you think…

September 6, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik